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A Challenge Both Academic and Spiritual

At SAU, learning happens in our 97+ majors and programs, but it doesn’t end there. It also happens in one-on-one meetings between students and faculty. It happens over a cup of coffee at Sacred Grounds, our campus coffee shop. It happens in graduate cohorts across Michigan and Ohio. Our caring faculty and staff are here to form students into critical participants. Whether you’re fresh out of high school, looking to finish a degree or want to take your mind and career to the next level in a master’s program, SAU will help you discover and embrace your purpose.

Majors & Programs

Schools

Tuition & Aid

Your education is an investment in your future. Our Tuition & Aid section lays out what that investment looks like and how SAU helps make your future more affordable. Here, you’ll find information on grants, loans and scholarships as well as other financial aid programs. We also have Net Price Calculators and in depth information for prospective undergraduate students.

Tuition Rates

Net Price Calculators

And When You’re Not Studying…

…there’s plenty more to keep you busy! Between intramurals, concerts and on-campus events, we’ll help you fill your schedule. Campus housing options range from traditional dorms to apartments and houses. But it’s not so much where you live as how you live, and the spiritual life at SAU pushes students to live admirable lives in community with one another. Chapel is the lynchpin of spiritual life at SAU, bringing together students with dynamic worship and powerful messages.

Verse of the Year

Isaiah 52:7

SAUCOUGARS.COM

Whether you’re playing rivals across state lines or friends across campus, a whole lot of life is about how you play the game. The Spring Arbor University Cougars are known for their success on the playing field and their commitment to the classroom and community. SAU competes in 17 intercollegiate sports within the Crossroads League, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Christian College Athletics Association. Our intramurals program also provides opportunities for students to play sports on campus. Read more about Intramurals at SAU.

Women’s Sports

Men’s Sports

The Journey Starts Here

Our admissions section gives you all the tools you need to make your education a reality. Whether you are applying for admission or simply want to visit campus to learn more, our admissions staff is here to help. Learn how SAU helps make your education affordable with our generous financial aid packages. Learn more about applying for our adult degree completion programs or becoming a student in one of our master’s programs.

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Professional Writing

About the Professional Writing Program

Our professional writing program explores all the ways nonfiction writers make a living — writing, editing, reporting for newspaper, magazines and the web. It’s not a creative writing program, although we are creative enough. And it’s not a journalism program, with an emphasis on a career in newspapers where there are fewer and fewer jobs.

Professional writing is a what-do-you-want-to-write-or-edit program to prepare you for existing and unimagined careers in writing for publication. With strong writing skills and a little design, photography and web management, you can find your way as a writer in a rapidly changing world.

A unique feature of this program is a two-semester in-house agency experience where students gain practical experience working on film projects. A senior capstone course prepares students for a career search and requires the completion of a professional portfolio.

Students with a professional writing major earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.

Mission

Our mission in the Department of Communication and Media is to prepare credible, creative Christian professionals for a world where the mastery of communication skills and technologies is essential. We accomplish our mission by helping students produce, publish and perform original work that is both ethical and effective.

Why should you choose SAU’s professional writing program?

The study of communication at Spring Arbor University is a hands-on experience, with a foundation in classical and Christian perspectives. All students complete a core sequence that promotes a thoughtful and ethical understanding of communication principles and best practices.

Throughout the program you will apply these principles. We offer extracurricular opportunities in writing, acting, broadcasting, designing, producing and researching in addition to practical hands-on experiences in the classroom. Each year students win awards in state and national competitions and engage in meaningful internships.

Courses, Course Descriptions & Four-Year Plan

The courses for the 62-hour professional writing major include such subject areas as news reporting, web content and management, popular culture, agency experience, writing for the media, editing, photo journalism and feature writing. A 21-hour minor is also available.

View the course requirements and layout, course descriptions, a sample four-year plan, as well as learn more about the professional writing program at Spring Arbor University in the undergraduate catalog.

Career Opportunities

The study of communication will help you develop useful skills in such fields as ministry, mass media, theatre, business, government and social services. Our program is particularly appropriate for positions involving public relations, broadcasting, corporate communication, public information management, employee communication, training and development, and print journalism.

To learn more about how Spring Arbor helps its graduates prepare for a career, visit our career development section.

On-Campus Opportunities

On campus, there are a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved, apply what they’re learning in the classroom in a practical way, and meet students who have similar passions. Here is a list of just some of the opportunities available that might interest English students:

The Pulse (news magazine) – Spring Arbor students can practice their free speech and show off their writing, editing and graphic design skills by joining The Pulse, Spring Arbor’s student-led news and opinion magazine, published bi-monthly. To read the latest edition, go to www.saupulse.com.

Sigma Tau Delta – Like English and want to rub shoulders with those who share your love of idiom? Consider joining this international English honor society.

Ink Blots – In the mood to get creative? Ink Blots is the SAU student creative writing group, which meets every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in White Library.

Michigan

Ohio

Fuel your career and fulfill your life’s purpose with our online, Christ-honoring accredited degree programs. 50% of our student body is made up of adult learners like yourself, so we understand your needs, and we are here to support you.